A satirical Texas bill that mocks pro-life legislation has advanced in the state’s legislature, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Last month, Texas state Rep. Jessica Farrar’s (D-Houston) filed House Bill 4620, which would create a civil penalty for “unregulated masturbatory emissions.” The Chronicle reported that the bill was referred to the Texas State Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
The bill, titled the “Man’s Right To Know Act,” enact a fine for any “emissions” made, calling them “an act against an unborn child, and failing to preserve the sanctity of life.”
According to Farrar, the text of the bill takes aim at other pro-life legislation that she considers restrictive. The bill would require a “medically-unnecessary” rectal exam before a vasectomy, an effort to mock ultrasound requirements before an abortion.
It would also “ensure a doctor’s right to invoke their personal, moralistic, or religious beliefs in refusing to perform an elective vasectomy or prescribe Viagra.”
"A lot of people find the bill funny," Farrar told the Chronicle in March. "What's not funny are the obstacles that Texas women face every day, that were placed there by legislatures making it very difficult for them to access health care."
After Farrar filed the bill in March, state Rep. Tony Tinderholt told the Texas Tribune that he is “embarrassed” for Farrar.
“Her attempt to compare [HB 4260] to the abortion issue shows a lack of a basic understanding of human biology,” Tinderholt said. “I would recommend that she consider taking a high school biology class from a local public or charter school before filing another bill on the matter.”
